Noted the following tips from the EFS Seminar this past weekend.
- A simple broom stick can go a long way in conditioning the rotators/shoulders to avoid injury. Keeping your arms straight, grasp the broom stick by its ends and slowly try to bring it from in front of you, then overhead of you, and then as far behind your head as you can (this is where you'll feel the stretch). Do this everyday.
- Keep your elbows directly underneath the bar during squats.
- When performing a 3RM or 5RM, hold your air the entire time- until the lock out of the final rep.
- DC training is the most efficient method of training for mass.
- Train for practice. Success in practice is the only way to achieve what one wants.
- Kroc rows (heavy, high rep, one arm DB rows) are an incredible way to build up grip strength. Begin with one warm up set and follow it up with one all out max rep set. Look to beat your total each subsequent time the exercise is performed. Matt K attributes his insane grip strength and thick as shit upper back to heavy Kroc rows.
- If you're looking to grow your legs, don't use a box when squatting.
- If you're looking to grow your legs, start doing lunges and unilateral split squats. Why don't people do them? Because they are hard as f**k.
- If you've got a weak low back/posterior chain, perform 3-4 sets of 45 degree back extensions or GHR or reverse hypers before workouts.
- Concentrate on small jumps overtime.
- The complete PARISI DE warmup is extremely efficient and has tremendous carry-over; however, it takes a shit load of time and people often do not complete it properly/in its entirety.
- Get in and out of the gym fast.
- Very often, trainees keep their upper back WAY too tight when deadlifting. Keep your hips low, low back tight, air in belly, feet close together, rounded upper back/shoulders, drive your heels into the ground while pulling with your upper back, once the weight begins to pull, activate your legs, increase speed and lock out.
- The sumo-style deadlift is uber-technical. Jim has seen the best lifters in the world fail to even budge the weight if there is anything off with form.
- When performing pin press, ease into the press. If you go balls out right away, you're increasing chances of tearing a pec. He's seen it too often.
- Learn how to bench with your lats.
- Kroc rows and shitloads of band pull aparts (100-150 per day) will increase raw bench numbers.
- Sleeping and eating leads to recovery. If you are complaining about poor recovery, it's in your control- quit being lazy.
- Performance FIRST; body comp SECOND.
- Believe in your program!
-Design a program first with goals written down, then program to achieve them.
- Legs: train the movement the athlete is best at (wrt squats); however, one cannot be married to one lift.
-Flare elbows at the top of the bench.
- Stalling at the bottom of a raw bench is the most natural weak point. SOHP helps this tremendously- high volume/BB/accessory lifts.
- Best tip for getting out of the whole for bench: leg drive & total body movement.
- DB Flies WILL improve bench numbers.
For those who may not know, here is Jim's bio:
JIM WENDLER
Senior Editor, Q/A Staff, Sales Manager
Senior Editor and Sales Manager of Elite Fitness Systems. He worked as a Strength and Conditioning coach at the University of Kentucky where he worked with several different teams including football and baseball. He played football and graduated from the University of Arizona where he earned three letters. Jim?s best lifts include a 1000lbs squat, a 675 bench press, 700lbs deadlift and a 2375 total in the 275lbs class.
- A simple broom stick can go a long way in conditioning the rotators/shoulders to avoid injury. Keeping your arms straight, grasp the broom stick by its ends and slowly try to bring it from in front of you, then overhead of you, and then as far behind your head as you can (this is where you'll feel the stretch). Do this everyday.
- Keep your elbows directly underneath the bar during squats.
- When performing a 3RM or 5RM, hold your air the entire time- until the lock out of the final rep.
- DC training is the most efficient method of training for mass.
- Train for practice. Success in practice is the only way to achieve what one wants.
- Kroc rows (heavy, high rep, one arm DB rows) are an incredible way to build up grip strength. Begin with one warm up set and follow it up with one all out max rep set. Look to beat your total each subsequent time the exercise is performed. Matt K attributes his insane grip strength and thick as shit upper back to heavy Kroc rows.
- If you're looking to grow your legs, don't use a box when squatting.
- If you're looking to grow your legs, start doing lunges and unilateral split squats. Why don't people do them? Because they are hard as f**k.
- If you've got a weak low back/posterior chain, perform 3-4 sets of 45 degree back extensions or GHR or reverse hypers before workouts.
- Concentrate on small jumps overtime.
- The complete PARISI DE warmup is extremely efficient and has tremendous carry-over; however, it takes a shit load of time and people often do not complete it properly/in its entirety.
- Get in and out of the gym fast.
- Very often, trainees keep their upper back WAY too tight when deadlifting. Keep your hips low, low back tight, air in belly, feet close together, rounded upper back/shoulders, drive your heels into the ground while pulling with your upper back, once the weight begins to pull, activate your legs, increase speed and lock out.
- The sumo-style deadlift is uber-technical. Jim has seen the best lifters in the world fail to even budge the weight if there is anything off with form.
- When performing pin press, ease into the press. If you go balls out right away, you're increasing chances of tearing a pec. He's seen it too often.
- Learn how to bench with your lats.
- Kroc rows and shitloads of band pull aparts (100-150 per day) will increase raw bench numbers.
- Sleeping and eating leads to recovery. If you are complaining about poor recovery, it's in your control- quit being lazy.
- Performance FIRST; body comp SECOND.
- Believe in your program!
-Design a program first with goals written down, then program to achieve them.
- Legs: train the movement the athlete is best at (wrt squats); however, one cannot be married to one lift.
-Flare elbows at the top of the bench.
- Stalling at the bottom of a raw bench is the most natural weak point. SOHP helps this tremendously- high volume/BB/accessory lifts.
- Best tip for getting out of the whole for bench: leg drive & total body movement.
- DB Flies WILL improve bench numbers.
For those who may not know, here is Jim's bio:
JIM WENDLER
Senior Editor, Q/A Staff, Sales Manager
Senior Editor and Sales Manager of Elite Fitness Systems. He worked as a Strength and Conditioning coach at the University of Kentucky where he worked with several different teams including football and baseball. He played football and graduated from the University of Arizona where he earned three letters. Jim?s best lifts include a 1000lbs squat, a 675 bench press, 700lbs deadlift and a 2375 total in the 275lbs class.
